cream through a strainer before it’s served Pourable and Stiff Creams There are two broad classes of creams, and they demand entirely different handling by the cook The pourable creams, crème anglaise for example, are meant to have the consistency of heavy cream at serving temperature They contain the standard eggs, milk, and sugar (sugar is omitted for a savory cream), and are cooked only until they just begin to thicken, far below the boil The cream fillings — crème pâtissière, banana cream, and so on — are meant to stay put in a dish and hold their shape They are therefore stiffened with a substantial dose of flour or cornstarch; and this means not only that they can be heated to the boil, they must be boiled Egg yolks contain a starch-digesting enzyme, amylase, that is remarkably resistant to heat Unless a starch-egg mix is brought to a full boil, the yolk amylase will survive, digest the starch, and turn the stiff cream into a pourable one When stored for any time, creams should be protected against the formation of the leathery skin that results from evaporation, which concentrates and toughens the surface layer of protein and starch Butter can be dotted onto the warm surface, where the milk fat will melt and spread into a protective layer; and sprinkled sugar will form a layer of concentrated syrup that resists evaporation The most straightforward solution is to press waxed paper or buttered parchment directly onto the cream Avoid plastic wrap; its plasticizing chemicals tend to migrate into fat-rich foods A Medieval Cheesecake Tart de bry Take raw yolks of eggs, and good fat cheese, and dress it, and mix it well together; and add powder of ginger, and of cinnamon, and sugar, and saffron, and put ... fat-rich foods A Medieval Cheesecake Tart de bry Take raw yolks of eggs, and good fat cheese, and dress it, and mix it well together; and add powder of ginger, and of cinnamon, and sugar, and saffron, and put.. .and turn the stiff cream into a pourable one When stored for any time, creams should be protected against the formation of the leathery skin that results from evaporation, which concentrates and toughens the surface... which concentrates and toughens the surface layer of protein and starch Butter can be dotted onto the warm surface, where the milk fat will melt and spread into a protective layer; and sprinkled sugar will form a layer of